If you go to the zoo or tune your TV to the Discovery channel, an observance of nature will show us that animals love relaxation and sleep. They often relax and get as much sleep as they want.

Rest and sleep are essential to recharge our nervous energy as our physical, emotional and mental balance depends on the quantity and quality of these vital necessities.

With the stress of our daily jobs, traffic while commuting to and from these jobs, schools, studies, parenting etc having a relaxation technique to fall back on will be indispensable for any and everyone.

Thanks to Yoga, such a technique is well within reach. It is known friends as the Corpse or Relaxation Pose.

It mostly involves lying motionless while applying a combination of deep square breathing and mental suggestions.

This following pose/exercise will show you how.

Technique:

-Lay motionless on your back with the arms and legs slightly extended.

-Start off by breathing deeply in counts of 5 that being in a ratio of 5:5:5 (inhalation-retention-exhalation)

-After a few minutes of this, begin to make what is defined as auto suggestions to the limbs starting from the toes by mentally affirming that My toes are hereby relaxed, My feet are hereby relaxed etcworking upwards to the head and internally through the internal organs.

-After several minutes of this, resume the deep square breathing for about 2-3 minutes.

-Next, begin to mentally chant this Yogic quote: I am that pure consciousness or self (You may substitute this with a verse from the books of your religious faith for example: Those who wait upon God shall renew their strength or any energizing quote for that matter like a simple I am being relaxed and energized at this moment

-Continue mentally affirming this phrase for several minutes, then roll over to your right side and remain motionless while all the while maintaining the 5:5:5 breathing schedule for an additional minute.

-Finally, arise from the position.

Personally, I employ the use of a timed metronome or the steady tick of a nearby wall clock to keep time and sequence. Moreover, I often practice spurts of this technique during my yoga session and a full 15 minutes afterwards. At the office, I sometimes just sit back in the chair and apply the deep breathing and autosuggestions mostly with my eyes closed.

However, one truth remains, whenever one needs to relax, this simple Yogic technique does offer a safe and effective means of attaining this.

I always tell people: Hey if it is said God took a break on the 7th day after making the world, who are we as humans not to take time out to rest?

That said, empower yourself with the knowledge of this technique offered by Yoga whenever you need time to just relax.